Stay in Kihei for vacation?
Jun 17th, 2002, 04:16 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Kihei is nowhere near Hana. Kihei can be considered a "budget" part of Maui. It is nice but does not compare to resort areas such as Kaanapali and Wailea. Lahaina is a town about three miles from Kaanapali. There are no quality beaches and only a few resorts there.
Jun 17th, 2002, 06:44 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
My wife and I stayed at the Mana Kai Maui in Kihei in October '01. Nice place, great view, good beach but next time we would probably want to stay somewhere a bit more secluded and less developed. Nothing was wrong with Kihei but we eventually found we liked Hawaii's "wilder" parts better than its cities.
Personally I would stay away from Lahaina at all costs... lots of folks seem to like it but to me it seemed like one huge row of bad gift shops and tacky restaurants. The only interesting thing I could find in Lahaina was the huge banyan tree.
Personally I would stay away from Lahaina at all costs... lots of folks seem to like it but to me it seemed like one huge row of bad gift shops and tacky restaurants. The only interesting thing I could find in Lahaina was the huge banyan tree.
Jun 18th, 2002, 02:58 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
jen, the guidebook Maui Revealed states that Kihei beaches are unswimmable from the north end of Kihei town to Cove Park ("smelly, murky, full of seaweed and generally unpleasant"). The first swimmable beach, according to them, is Kamaole I. From that point south, the water is beautiful and completely unaffected by the discharge of a sewage treatment plant. This plant is located near Kalama Park, and the water flows northward from there. The wizardpub website (same folks) does have an update claiming that the town is making efforts to clean it up...but the author still sounded skeptical.
Sure changed my mind about staying in Kihei!
Sure changed my mind about staying in Kihei!
Jun 18th, 2002, 05:55 PM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Jen,
What Joan is quoting from the "Maui Revealed" should not prevent you from staying in Kihei, only in that very small northern part of it. Below that the beaches are fabulous, starting at Kam #1, and you will love them. Kihei is not a beautiful, classy resort like Wailea, but it is very nice, and there's a ga-zillion people who love it and come back for a more reasonably priced experience than the other resort areas on Maui. My family had always stayed in Wailea, and the last time my sister rented a condo - Maui Sunset - in Kihei (no one is pickier than my sister)- and it was north of Kam #1 by a little bit, and they LOVED it. So if a condo/hotel/cottage is near Kam #1, #2 or #3, go for it. I am thinking of staying at Mana Kai Maui next time, (rather than the Renaissance Wailea where I usually stay at, and love but is much costlier!) which is right on the Wailea-Kihei line, and is on a gorgeous beach adjoining Kam #3. (I think someone above mentioned staying there.) You can walk from there to all the resorts in Wailea, and have the best of both worlds. Don't be afraid of Kihei if you'd rather not spend a fortune!
What Joan is quoting from the "Maui Revealed" should not prevent you from staying in Kihei, only in that very small northern part of it. Below that the beaches are fabulous, starting at Kam #1, and you will love them. Kihei is not a beautiful, classy resort like Wailea, but it is very nice, and there's a ga-zillion people who love it and come back for a more reasonably priced experience than the other resort areas on Maui. My family had always stayed in Wailea, and the last time my sister rented a condo - Maui Sunset - in Kihei (no one is pickier than my sister)- and it was north of Kam #1 by a little bit, and they LOVED it. So if a condo/hotel/cottage is near Kam #1, #2 or #3, go for it. I am thinking of staying at Mana Kai Maui next time, (rather than the Renaissance Wailea where I usually stay at, and love but is much costlier!) which is right on the Wailea-Kihei line, and is on a gorgeous beach adjoining Kam #3. (I think someone above mentioned staying there.) You can walk from there to all the resorts in Wailea, and have the best of both worlds. Don't be afraid of Kihei if you'd rather not spend a fortune!
Jun 19th, 2002, 04:59 AM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Jen -
Have been to Maui a dozen times and Kihei is not a favorite spot of ours. There are some decent restaurants, however, I would recommend either staying in the Wailea area (not far from Kihei) or the Kapalua area which is on the opposite side of the island from Wailea. It's more quiet in both of these areas and you can find fairly reasonable condos if that is your consideration. Kihei is too congested for our liking as is Lahaina and Kaanapali too. Depends on what you are looking for, but I think you can do better than Kihei at any cost.
Have been to Maui a dozen times and Kihei is not a favorite spot of ours. There are some decent restaurants, however, I would recommend either staying in the Wailea area (not far from Kihei) or the Kapalua area which is on the opposite side of the island from Wailea. It's more quiet in both of these areas and you can find fairly reasonable condos if that is your consideration. Kihei is too congested for our liking as is Lahaina and Kaanapali too. Depends on what you are looking for, but I think you can do better than Kihei at any cost.
Jun 19th, 2002, 05:05 AM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Just returned from Maui (and Kauai), so I'll throw in my two cents: we stayed in Kihei at the Hale Kai O Kihei (1 BR for $80/night) and had a great time there. This is in the supposed "bad area" for water quality, but I think this is on the Hawaii scale- the water is much clearer than anywhere I've ever been in my usual east coast Atlantic vacation areas, main problem was coral rubble in the sand (wear aquashoes), but we usually just went to nearby beaches. Another point, I've stayed in Kaanapali, but if on a moderate budget at one of the resorts you are usually in a building far from the ocean - I'd rather be oceanfront on a less than great beach just for the view. A good (eastern) analogy might be to think of the "resort areas" as like Hilton Head or Marcos Island, and Kihei as more of a beach town like Myrtle Beach - just very different experiences.
Next we moved to the Lahaina Shores, also oceanfront just south of Lahaina - loved this place! Close enough to walk into town for dinner, and the snorkeling on their beach has to be one of the best kept secrets on Maui. We must have snorkeled 15 sites on this trip and some of the coral heads at the Lahaina Shores were as colorful and healthy as any we saw. Also, the conditions were suitable for beginners.
A final note: don't go without the guidebooks from Wizardpubs (the blue books with picture of island on cover). Their directions to secluded beaches etc. were amazing, and cannot be appreciated until you actually use them. Most of the places we went you could never find without those directions. Also, restaurant reviews etc. we found to be right on target.
Next we moved to the Lahaina Shores, also oceanfront just south of Lahaina - loved this place! Close enough to walk into town for dinner, and the snorkeling on their beach has to be one of the best kept secrets on Maui. We must have snorkeled 15 sites on this trip and some of the coral heads at the Lahaina Shores were as colorful and healthy as any we saw. Also, the conditions were suitable for beginners.
A final note: don't go without the guidebooks from Wizardpubs (the blue books with picture of island on cover). Their directions to secluded beaches etc. were amazing, and cannot be appreciated until you actually use them. Most of the places we went you could never find without those directions. Also, restaurant reviews etc. we found to be right on target.
Jun 19th, 2002, 11:46 AM
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
I spent a week on Maui in May and stayed Kihei (which is pronounced "Key-hay" if you did not know!). I was glad I did after seeing the resort areas like Kaanapali or Kapalua. In fact, my favorite beach was at the end of S. Kihei Road (Keawakapu).
If you want to stay at a relative isolated planned resort community, go to Kapalua. If you want to be closer to stores and restaurants, stay in South Maui. Kihei is more like a typical beach town. Yes, there are some strip malls, but most are pretty small. Congestion is a state of mind - S. Kihei Road may get crowded but it's nothing like rush hour in Manhattan. As for the water, I too read Maui Revealed and still stayed at a condo unit along the "no swim" area. The condo's beach wasn't that nice - but mainly because of the seaweed. There was no smell, and in fact, I saw many wind and kite surfers out on the water.
If you want to stay at a relative isolated planned resort community, go to Kapalua. If you want to be closer to stores and restaurants, stay in South Maui. Kihei is more like a typical beach town. Yes, there are some strip malls, but most are pretty small. Congestion is a state of mind - S. Kihei Road may get crowded but it's nothing like rush hour in Manhattan. As for the water, I too read Maui Revealed and still stayed at a condo unit along the "no swim" area. The condo's beach wasn't that nice - but mainly because of the seaweed. There was no smell, and in fact, I saw many wind and kite surfers out on the water.
Jun 19th, 2002, 12:33 PM
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
My husband and I have been to Maui three times; we stayed in Wailea our first time and Kihei the other two times. Our last visit was in September 2001, and we stayed at the Sugar Beach Resort in North Kihei.
It is absolutely ridiculous to say that the beaches in North Kihei are "unswimmable" or any other negative term. We swam and snorkeled every day and loved it, along with everyone else who was there. There are coral reefs right in front of the Sugar Beach Resort; we saw gorgeous fish, huge sea turtles, and even dolphins leaping out of the water. There is no way the water was smelly, murky, or had seaweed--that's pure garbage.
If you want to spend $500 a night on accommodations, that's your business; but we had a one-bedroom ocean-front condo for two weeks, including a rental car and round-trip airfare from Baltimore, for about $3,900 for the two of us. And this was all booked well before Sept. 11--unfortunately, we were there when that tragic event occurred. Good luck no matter what you decide, but please don't listen to anyone or any guidebook that trashes Kihei--they're either snobs or they just don't know what they're talking about!
It is absolutely ridiculous to say that the beaches in North Kihei are "unswimmable" or any other negative term. We swam and snorkeled every day and loved it, along with everyone else who was there. There are coral reefs right in front of the Sugar Beach Resort; we saw gorgeous fish, huge sea turtles, and even dolphins leaping out of the water. There is no way the water was smelly, murky, or had seaweed--that's pure garbage.
If you want to spend $500 a night on accommodations, that's your business; but we had a one-bedroom ocean-front condo for two weeks, including a rental car and round-trip airfare from Baltimore, for about $3,900 for the two of us. And this was all booked well before Sept. 11--unfortunately, we were there when that tragic event occurred. Good luck no matter what you decide, but please don't listen to anyone or any guidebook that trashes Kihei--they're either snobs or they just don't know what they're talking about!
Jun 19th, 2002, 12:54 PM
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
To be fair, I think the section that the guidebook lists as not so good starts just south of the Sugar Beach and runs down to north of the Kam I beach.
However, I think that they infer that the water is somehow contaminated, while as I understand it, the problem with the treated water being released into the ocean is just that it is nutrient-rich, and therefore will support the growth of algae and seaweed, which might make the beach less than desirable than some. After waiting through a long winter for Hawaii, guess I'm just not that picky!
However, I think that they infer that the water is somehow contaminated, while as I understand it, the problem with the treated water being released into the ocean is just that it is nutrient-rich, and therefore will support the growth of algae and seaweed, which might make the beach less than desirable than some. After waiting through a long winter for Hawaii, guess I'm just not that picky!
Jun 19th, 2002, 01:05 PM
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
I own a condo in Kihei so my opinion will be biased.
The water problems with North Kihei are related to the shallowness of the water.There is more seaweed and debris but the water is still clean.
I like Kihei because it's a real town.I can sit on my lanai and see and hear only ocean. Across the street behind me is a shopping center.
Within a few a few minutes, without using a car, I can buy booze,rent a DVD,buy groceries,gifts,clothes,or choose from five different places to eat.
The water problems with North Kihei are related to the shallowness of the water.There is more seaweed and debris but the water is still clean.
I like Kihei because it's a real town.I can sit on my lanai and see and hear only ocean. Across the street behind me is a shopping center.
Within a few a few minutes, without using a car, I can buy booze,rent a DVD,buy groceries,gifts,clothes,or choose from five different places to eat.
